What to put with female rams (tropical)?

[starfish4]

Can anyone give some advice on what fish would go with our two female rams. We've had them in a small tank for six months. DH transferred them over to a larger tank a month ago. One was always chasing the other so is more dominant, but has suddenly calmed down.

We thought about a couple of male rams. Will the males go with females? What other fish would be good? DH reckons we can put up to 12 fish in our tank.

How big is the tank? Rams can be utter bastards if they breed. I had a pair in a 4ft tank once and I don't think I would have put another pair in, they would have murdered each other.

Apart from that, are you looking for something small and shoaling? How big is the tank?

Indeed, size of the tank is key. I wouldn't keep more than one breeding pair of rams in anything less than 3 or 4 feet. As EuRouge says, cichlids can be nasty bastards.

Do you know if you have hard or soft water?